Ryan Tampone
Alumnus Spearheads Software Development at Paychex and nuIntegrations.
For as long he can remember, Ryan Tampone wanted to work in software development. In his hometown of Liberty, NY, being interested in technology put him outside the box.
“I was an oddball,” says Tampone. “I come from a small town. Technology is not a big thing where I’m from—and for some reason, I was born interested in it.”
Though Tampone concedes that being a computer nerd as a child made him something of an outsider, especially in a town with less than 10,000 people, that didn’t stop residents from noticing—and utilizing—his talents.
“When I was little, I would do little things like virus removal,” Tampone says. “I would configure new software, and offer tech support for the whole family and community. Right before college and during my college years, I was doing some freelance web development work for a friend of mine. He and his father had started their own business, so l managed their website.”
As a 2017 graduate from SUNY Brockport’s Computing Sciences Program, Tampone added many skills to his résumé before entering the workforce with Rochester-based payroll service company Paychex in 2017.
According to Department of Computing Sciences Chair Sandeep Mitra, Tampone was deeply involved in software development and “created many products and websites,” including the development of a web app for the Earth Sciences Department.
While at Brockport, Tampone found part-time employment working for the college’s web manager Gian Carlo Cervone.
“I was basically working on Brockport’s content management system to build their website,” Tampone says. “That was pretty cool, because we were building pages that people visiting the college’s website will see.”
With a wide range of skills and experience, Tampone found employment easily. In fact, he was hired as a Software Engineer at Paychex before he had completed his final semester. Within one year of employment, Tampone was promoted to the position of Developer II at the company.
“We are working on building web applications for the company’s health and benefits suite of products,” he explains. “I’m on a team doing that, as well as piloting some new technology used for our automation testing. I’m kind of like a jack of all trades here at Paychex.”
As a side job, Tampone is part of the nuIntegrations Freelance Software Consulting Group. The group, consisting of a few other Brockport Computing Sciences and Computer Information Systems alumni and students, was contracted by Brockport Student Government (BSG) last year at the suggestion of the Department of Computing Sciences chairperson. They are currently working on an online petitioning app called ECHO. The app allows students to engage in open dialogues using petitions in a respectful and safe space online.
Tampone humbly attributes much of his success to his college career at Brockport, and the Department of Computing Sciences.
“The department was the shining thing at Brockport,” he says. “The professors cared so much about the students being able to succeed and get a job. Coming out of the department, I felt ready to enter the workforce. They foster a lot of great relationships with employers around the Brockport/Rochester area.”
Tampone, who describes Brockport as “a perfect fit,” says he secured his position at Paychex through a departmental recommendation. He has returned some of his good fortune by speaking to students during Careers in Computing Days, and visiting classrooms on several occasions to provide students with feedback and support in developing their projects.
Tampone’s aspirations in early 2019 included plans to continue climbing the ranks of software engineering positions ar Paychex.
“That’s my short term goal,” he says. “In the long term, I’m looking to put myself on a management track to manage all throughout the teams, and guide where our projects go.”
In late Spring 2019, Tampone accepted an offer from the IT department of M & T Bank in Buffalo, NY. Despite this move, Tampone continues to be engaged with the Department of Computing Sciences, and enthusiastically supports its initiatives, particularly those related to helping students with their career search.
Posted: August 24, 2022